This page will provide links to new studies or research on prematurity / premature babies/ issues faced by parents . With 15 million babies born worldwide premature each year and over one million not surviving, it is so important that research keeps going to help and support all these families.

Study finds multiple risk factors can contribute to preterm birth, including shorter cervical length, abnormal uterine Doppler flow, use of marijuana pre-pregnancy, lack of overall feeling of well being, being of Caucasian ethnicity, having a mother with diabetes and/or a history of preeclampsia, and a family history of low birth weight babies.

Babies born at 37 weeks should be classed as premature. The definition of a premature birth should be raised to more than 37 weeks, as babies currently considered full term could still benefit from more time in the womb, a study has suggested.

Left Hand – Right Hand, Premature Babies Make the Link. From the 31st week of pregnancy, preterm babies are capable of recognizing with one hand an object they have already explored with the other. This ability, known as "intermanual transfer," has been demonstrated in premature infants. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120412105432.htm

The World Health Organisation report ‘Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth’ provides the first ever national, regional and global estimates on preterm birth. The report shows the extent to which preterm birth is on the rise in most countries and is now the leading cause of death globally for children under five, after pneumonia.

Premature babies may face problems later according to latest research. Full-term is generally between 37 weeks and 41 weeks; newborns born before 37 weeks are called premature and are known to face increased chances for health and developmental problems. http://www.skynews.com.au/health/article.aspx?id=767433&vId=

Scientists funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) have shown, for the first time, how our brain 'wiring' develops in the first few months of life. Using a new imaging technique, the scientists monitored the formation of insulating layers around nerve cells, a process called myelination, which is vital for normal brain function. Damage to the myelination process is believed to contribute to a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including autism and intellectual disability. http://phys.org/news/2011-01-brain-wiring-babies.html

Study points to genetic link in apnea of prematurity. A potentially life-threatening challenge characterized by pauses in breathing that can last for more than 20 seconds, apnea of prematurity (AOP) affects more than 50 percent of premature infants and is almost universal in the smallest of preemies. http://phys.org/news/2010-11-genetic-link-apnea-prematurity.html

A study was conducted in Washington University in St. Louis, Siteman Cancer Centre, St. Louis, Mo.; and Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Louis, Mo. Found that hat women who deliver their first baby early are more likely to have a subsequent baby that is small for its gestational age, even when the second pregnancy is carried to term. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-prior-preterm-delivery-subsequent-baby.html

New devices could hold key to predicting premature births are currently undergoing trials in England. These devices will be able to assess a woman's cervix to establish the risk of her having a premature birth, by using electrical impulses to take measurements of the resistance of tissue in the cervix. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-devices-key-premature-births.html

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing conducted a study that establishes an increased risk for autism spectrum disorders. They have found a link between low birth weight and autism diagnoses, reporting that premature infants are five times more likely to have autism than children born at normal weights http://news.nurse.com/article/20111018/NATIONAL02/110310007/-1/frontpage